24 May 2020
No to capitalist accumulation at the expense of human lives
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape convened its first virtual Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Saturday 23 May 2020, guided by the programmatic theme “We can’t go back to the crisis before the crisis – our vanguard role”. The virtual PEC meeting was attended by the 8th PEC members, Central Committee deployees, District leadership and Young Communist League of South Africa.
The primary purpose of the virtual meeting was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic and political conditions imposed by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the deep-seated inequalities plaguing our economy and social experience.
Salute to the internationalist Cuban doctors!
The SACP welcomes the arrival of the Cuban Medical Brigade in the province to help fight the spread of the pandemic. This act of kindness and internationalist solidarity by the Cuban people is exemplary despite their modest means and hardships imposed by the illegal US economic blockade. We call on the Western Cape government to deploy these dedicated doctors to strategic areas particularly to hotspot areas. Further, we call on our local doctors and medical practitioners to embrace these revolutionary doctors and use their deployment in the province as a possible platform for the exchange of skills and experience.
No to the wholesale re-opening of the economy for capitalist accumulation
The SACP applauds the general level of compliance within the population of the province. However, we are concerned about the dangers of the spread of the virus amid calls for re-opening of the economy and schools. Our concern is drawn from the recent experience wherein workplaces such as police stations, clinics, retail stores, GSK pharmaceutical company and farms served as sources of infections. Therefore, the easing of the lockdown must be responsive to the realities prevailing in the Western Cape and take appropriate interventions not driven by capitalist accumulation.
Against this background, the SACP regards the calls for reopening of the economy as extremely reckless in the context of the rate of infections in Cape Town and concomitantly the impending pressure on the healthcare system. In fact, currently, Groote Schuur, Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha are beyond their bed capacity which is indicative of the magnitude of the problem. It is equally worrying that there is increasing incidences of infections amongst frontline staff in Khayelitsha and more recently in Tygerberg Hospitals.
Therefore, in the context of escalating infections and fatalities as well as the pressure on the healthcare system, the demands for wholesale reopening of the economy are extremely irresponsible. Thus, if the easing of the economy is imposed, it will serve the narrow capitalist accumulation and exacerbate the spread of the virus.
DA led administration is exposed of its barbaric and inhuman acts
It is abominable that the DA led provincial government displays callous disregard for the poor in responding to the pandemic. We condemn in the strongest terms possible the inhumane dumping of homeless people from Strandfontein site on the streets; evictions of people despite the moratorium on evictions by Justice Minister; and refusal to provide water and electricity to the occupants of the old Hellen Bouden Nursing residence in Green Point.
Do not use the Covid-19 crisis as a convenient excuse to circumvent democracy
During this Covid-19 crisis, the City of Cape Town is neither accountable nor transparent to the public about its service delivery capacity. For instance, MyCity routes were closed, and now refuse collection is not conducted due to positive cases which resulted in the closure of municipality depots. This poses further health hazards in the neglected working class communities such as Masiphumelele, Phillippi, Dunoorn to mention but the few.
The reality is that, the DA in the city is preoccupied with draconian by-laws that infringe on the constitutional rights of citizens. Further, the SACP condemns with the strongest terms possible attempts by the DA led administration in the City to circumvent democratic practices including avoiding public participation in the budget processes currently under-way.
We cannot go back to the crisis before the crisis – Our vanguard role
The crisis before the crisis was untenable and we have to ensure that the post crisis situation is not ruinous for the working class. Thus, we welcome the emerging consensus from across sectors of our society that fundamental transformation of the structural and systematic features of the economy is urgently required in order to shape the post-Covid-19 economy. It is beyond dispute that the current economy is exclusionary, highly financialised and dominated by local and international monopolies. This reality needs to be changed rapidly through legislative and other interventions. Accordingly, prioritisation of the National Health Insurance, amendment of Section 25, transformation of the financial sector and development of comprehensive industrial strategy, geared towards boosting local manufacturing and beneficiation, is urgent. It is also quite clear that there is a need to develop modalities to implement digital revolution related technologies as part of revolutionising production capacity in ways that expand employment post the pandemic.
In this regard, more attention must be paid to the Western Cape economic landscape which is dominated by the speculative financial sector. Diversification and building of productive economic sectors through state-led investment which holds capacity for more labour intensive capabilities and the building of co-operatives is urgently required. Another important contribution to the local economy is through the tourism sector. This pandemic will have long lasting impact, which requires creative measures to overcome.
Conclusion
The SACP salutes its fallen heroes who passed on during this period. They include, the Rivonia Trialist and stalwart Denis Goldberg, member of the June 16 Detachment of uMkhonto WeSizwe Dr. Clarence Mini, Amos Komeni, former District Treasurer of the then Khayelitsha District Mlulami Mkhiva, Themba Nobathana and frontline workers such as nurses, the police and those essential workers from across the sectors the sectors of our economy.
Issued by SACP Western Cape
Contact:
Benson Ngqentsu
Provincial Secretary
Mobile – +27827966400
